Tips for Corbin mortise lever return spring install??

[ltdbjd]

I'm looking for any helpful tips for tightly installing the lever return spring on a Corbin Russwin ML2000 series mortise lock (or any mortise lock with such a spring). I'm always battling it, and never seem to get it fully wound. This includes winding it up and then installing it with needle nose pliers, and installing it and then trying to wind it up around the post.

I end up with the spring too loose, and then trying to hunt down lever Viagra for my droopy handle. It's installed too loose in the pics below after playing with it for a long while trying to get my lever up. It's fairly old, which might be part of the problem.

Any helpful hints are always appreciated.

[Northlandlocksmith]

I saw those springs for $0.96 online maybe buy a few extra? Corbin Russwin has great manuals online. I did see that model had 2 different return springs, a 2nd option was available for exit devices. It looked like it had a extra bend in it, I don't know where you got your spring but corbin sells 2, could be worth checking?

[ltdbjd]

Thanks. The spring itself works fine. It's just winding it up tight and installing it that has me at wits end. As you can see in the photo, by the time I got the spring back in, it had unwound too much.

Speaking of Corbin parts, I tried to get parts for a CL3300 series cylindrical chassis last week. Found out they don't sell them. You have to buy an entirely new chassis. I had to pull apart three broken ones to get the parts I needed to get one working.

[Raymond]

I do not have one to look at nor measurements but I would like to suggest a tool that might work.

Take a piece of pipe or tubing that fits smoothly around the square post. Cut about 3/8 inch down from the end leaving about 1/4 inch uncut. Drill a hole through the top of the tool and insert a screw driver or other shaft to turn it with. The length does not matter.

Slip the tool down over the square shaft with the small tab contacting the part of the spring that sticks out. Rotate the tool to the required number of turns and let what the spring activates go back into position.

[ltdbjd]

Hey, I really like that idea! I'm going put something like that together. I'll post what I come up with.

Thanks much!